For a trip to the main cities, no special precautions are recommended. Before any extended trips to provincial areas of China, however, a medical and dental check-up is advisable and you would do well to make sure that your immunizations for tetanus, diphtheria and polio are up to date. Depending on how rural your trip will be, typhoid vaccination as well as rabies and hepatitis jabs may be worth considering. Malaria protection is advisable for visits during the wet (summer) season for rural areas in the south of Yunnan and Fujian provinces, and in Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan.

Should you fall sick in China, there are competent hospitals and clinics available in almost all locations. In Beijing and Shanghai, and in some of the larger cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing there are also a number of excellent foreign clinics and emergency services. Be aware that the prices charged at such foreign clinics are expensive so be sure to check your insurance covers any treatment.